Dave Nagle

Assoc. Director, Communications@DaveESPNPR

It’ll be 25 years at ESPN for me come the fall of 2011, and in that time I’ve worked on almost every sport, plus answered viewer calls and letters, given tours, written the company newsletter and once drove NASCAR’s Jeff Gordon to the local airport. My travels have been varied…I’ve been to Martinsville and Super Bowls; the America’s Cup (all 3) in San Diego and College GameDay in the sport’s meccas such as Eugene, Auburn, Lubbock, Stillwater and more; the NBA Finals and Indy 500; Wimbledon and the “other Bristol,” the one with a race track in Tennessee. These days, you’re most likely to hear from me if the topic is tennis, a question about ratings or something related to ESPN’s history and growth.

Recent Posts

posted by on May 17, 2013 8:00 AM

Front & Center: Jason Bernstein on ESPN’s 11-year deal with the US Open

Serena Williams during the 2012 US Open. (Scott Clarke / ESPN Images)

Serena Williams during the 2012 US Open.
(Scott Clarke / ESPN Images)

Click HERE to listen or visit iTunes to download the podcast and be sure to SUBSCRIBE to the Front & Center podcast. Also, make sure to check out the ESPN Radio app, available for the iPad.

On Thursday, ESPN and the United States Tennis Association announced a landmark, 11-year agreement making the network the exclusive home of the US Open starting in 2015.

Jason Bernstein (ESPN)

Jason Bernstein (ESPN)

With this new deal adding about 30 hours of US Open television coverage to the 100 or so ESPN has aired since 2009 — including Labor Day weekend, the semifinals in prime time and both the women’s and men’s finals — and countless hours on ESPN3 covering the outer courts, ESPN will now air the championship in three of the four tennis majors. continue reading…

Filed in: Front & Center, Podcast, TennisOnESPN

posted by on May 16, 2013 1:36 PM

ESPN becomes the exclusive home to US Open tennis beginning in 2015

ESPN campus green (Joe Faraoni/ESPN)

ESPN campus green
(Joe Faraoni/ESPN)

Today, ESPN and the USTA announced that ESPN will be the exclusive home of the US Open starting in 2015. With this 11-year agreement, ESPN will televise the championships of three of tennis’ four majors.

Tennis has been part of ESPN since the network debuted Sept. 7, 1979. The first tennis telecast was exactly one week later, Sept. 14, a Davis Cup tie, Argentina vs. USA from Memphis, Tenn. Current ESPN tennis commentator Cliff Drysdale was on the call and John McEnroe was playing.

Today, the company’s commitment to the sport is as strong as it’s ever been with all four major events and top ATP and WTA events on ESPN platforms, including the US Open Series and the season-ending championship of both tours.

Filed in: Announcements, TennisOnESPN

posted by on May 9, 2013 2:13 PM

SportsCenter, tennis majors anchor Chris McKendry makes the most of being a mom, even when she’s working worlds away from home

SportsCenter anchor Chris McKendry practices tennis with her sons. (John Atashian/ESPN Images)

SportsCenter anchor Chris McKendry practices tennis with her sons. (John Atashian/ESPN Images)

With boys aged 8 and 10 at home, SportsCenter anchor Chris McKendry takes “business trips” — such as two weeks in Paris as a host for the French Open starting on ESPN2 on May 26 — that require much planning and a team/family effort to keep the home front running smoothly.

“I leave incredible amounts of notes for my husband and our sitter — a page per day — with everything from the boys’ activities to the school lunch schedule and friends’ birthday parties with the present already wrapped,” she said. “Then I review it with them by phone every day.” continue reading…

Filed in: Behind The Scenes, SportsCenter, TennisOnESPN

posted by on May 6, 2013 3:19 PM

ESPN’s Features Unit seeks to continue its Emmy-winning ways

Editor’s Note: ESPN received 41 Sports Emmy Award nominations for 2012 across its platforms (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN 3D, ABC, ESPNU, ESPNEWS and Grantland.com), led by five nods for E:60 (a total of 29 in five years), four each for Outside the Lines and ESPN Films including work by the Features Unit, and the first three ever for Grantland.com. The 34th annual Sports Emmy Awards will be held tomorrow night in Manhattan.

“And the Emmy goes to. . . ”

Ten times since ESPN’s Features Unit — a group within the Cross Platform Newsgathering Unit — was formed in 2002, the rest of that sentence ended with a product of their hard work. In fact, with 10 more possible winners in the awards to be announced Tuesday night in New York, the group has notched 50 nominations in 11 years. That’s not a bad batting average. continue reading…

Filed in: 30 for 30, Announcements, Behind The Scenes, E:60, ESPN College Football, SportsCenter

posted by on April 12, 2013 10:24 AM

Journalism, storytelling lead ESPN at the New York Festivals Awards

Craig Bengtson, vice president, SportsCenter, accepted awards won by the show and the Features Unit at the 2013 New York Festivals International Film and TV Awards on Tuesday in Las Vegas.

ESPN’s Craig Bengtson, vice president, SportsCenter, accepted awards won by the show and the Features Unit at the 2013 New York Festivals International Film and TV Awards. (Credit: Copywright Marc Bryan-Brown).

For the sixth consecutive year, ESPN was named Broadcaster of the Year at the New York Festivals International Television & Film Awards Tuesday night in Las Vegas.

ESPN’s 40 medals led the competition, which attracts entrants from all corners of the globe. The network’s stellar night was largely a result of the outstanding work done in the areas of enterprise journalism and storytelling. continue reading…

Filed in: Announcements, ESPN History

posted by on March 27, 2013 3:00 PM

What if. . . SportsCenter were a network unto itself?

(L-R) SportsCenter anchors Sage Steele, Jay Crawford, Hannah Storm and Kevin Negandhi on set. (Joe Faraoni / ESPN Images)

(L-R) SportsCenter anchors Sage Steele, Jay Crawford, Hannah Storm and Kevin Negandhi on set.
(Joe Faraoni/ESPN Images)

The question posed in the headline above is not such a far-flung concept. In fact, in 2012, ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPNEWS combined to air almost 8,800 hours of SportsCenter (live shows and repeats). That’s slightly more than one year’s worth of programming for a network.

So how would this one show stand up as a network versus the competition? The answer: quite well. continue reading…

Filed in: Behind The Scenes

posted by on March 4, 2013 11:45 AM

ESPN’s Cliff Drysdale elected to International Tennis Hall of Fame

NEW YORK — Cliff Drysdale — who has been part of the ESPN team since the network’s first tennis telecast just one week after launch in 1979 — has been elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

The announcement was made this morning at a news conference at the Essex House Hotel.

“Cliff is one of the special voices in sports television and few in any sport have combined such an outstanding career in competition with leadership roles off the court and we are proud to call him our own,” said ESPN President John Skipper.

Drysdale’s TV work as a commentator followed a playing career notable both on and off the court. He was ranked as high as No. 4 in the world, was in the Top 10 six times, and won 35 singles titles. He also captured 24 doubles crowns, highlighted by the 1972 US Open men’s championship with Roger Taylor. In 1974, he led South Africa to the Davis Cup championship.

One of the first players in the game to use the two-handed backhand, Drysdale was instrumental in the founding of the Association of Tennis Professionals and served as its first president (1972-74). During that time, he led the successful 1973 Wimbledon boycott.

The 2013 Class, which includes Martina Hingis, Thelma Coyne Long, Drysdale, Charlie Pasarell and Ion Tiriac will be inducted on Saturday, July 13, at the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, R.I.

Filed in: Announcements, ESPN History

posted by on January 22, 2013 12:48 PM

A winning tandem: ESPN tennis analyst Chris Evert guest stars on good friend Elizabeth Shue’s CSI show

When there’s a murder at a major tennis tournament, the detectives need to interrogate everyone who might know something. . . and on CBS’ CSI on Wednesday, Jan. 23, at 10 p.m ET/PT, that includes ESPN’s Chris Evert.

Evert plays herself — a former tennis great now commentating — and appears along with former stars Lindsay Davenport and Justin Gimelstob.

Evert, who is in Melbourne this week providing analysis during ESPN’s Australian Open coverage, told the Associated Press that acting’s challenges differ from the ones tennis present.

“If you flub up your lines, you can do it five times. In tennis, there’s no dress rehearsal. You play your match and that’s it,” said Evert, who appeared as herself in the film Wimbledon and was once guest host of Saturday Night Live.

As we know, in Hollywood it’s all about who you know, and sure enough, Evert got the part because of her friendship with Shue. An accomplished high school gymnast in New Jersey, Shue has played a number of times in Evert’s annual celebrity tournament that raises funds for children’s charities.

“With the episode set at a tennis tournament,” Shue told Front Row, “the producers prayed professional announcers would be involved. I told them, ‘You have to call Chris.’”

This project together merged Shue’s passions, acting and tennis. continue reading…

Filed in: Behind The Scenes

posted by on December 12, 2012 5:06 PM

Sports Broadcasting HOF hails ESPN’s Bodenheimer, ABC’s Gifford, Whitaker among eight honorees

NEW YORK — It was a special night Tuesday at the sixth annual Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame induction, especially for ESPN and ABC.

George Bodenheimer, longtime president and now executive chairman, along with legendary ABC Sports broadcasters Frank Gifford and Jack Whitaker were among the class of eight honorees for the Class of 2012.

Bodenheimer, who joined ESPN in 1981 and served as president from 1998 until relinquishing the role at the end of 2011, typically was quick to share the credit with others.

“I am here tonight because of the people of ESPN and all they accomplished,” he told the New York Hilton Hotel audience.

He also cited Gifford and Whitaker, saying they “share a rich ABC Sports history, a pioneering spirit and commitment to quality and innovation that infused ESPN in its infancy and remains a critical part of our DNA today.”

Gifford, an NFL Hall of Famer, was seen for many years on ABC’s Monday Night Football, Wide World of Sports and the network’s coverage of numerous Olympics. He also credited colleagues behind the scenes. continue reading…

Filed in: Behind The Scenes

posted by on September 6, 2012 4:41 PM

ESPN tennis crew on the Big Apple’s big event: the US Open

Most events in sports take on the flavor of the host city. That is certainly true for the four Majors of tennis.

The Australian Open is known as “the happy slam” for good reason. It’s a summer party when it’s winter for most fans. continue reading…

Filed in: Behind The Scenes